Page 40 of Always Beth
‘Sorry, I must have been confused when you called out my name in your sleep and dropped your hand between your thighs.’
Her eyes widen and her cheeks immediately inflame. ‘Yes, I think you must have been.’
I bite my tongue to avoid any further embarrassment. Besides, it’s time for us to get ready for dinner and any more talk of her self-pleasure will mean we don’t end up leaving this room for the rest of the day.
‘I’ve made us dinner reservations, so you might want to wear something from the Bethany Cross clothing collection you brought with you.’
‘What sort of place is it?’
‘Casual, but we should go for drinks after, so wear something you feel good in.’
Dropping her bags on to the bed, she hesitates as she begins to unzip her luggage. ‘Don’t you mean something I look good in?’
‘If you feel good, you’ll look good. Whatever you’re comfortable and confident in.’
Her lips part as if she’s about to confess something, but then she breaks into an uncontrollable smile.
‘What?’
‘It’s just that Stephen used to tell me what to wear when we went out.’
Control freak.
‘It’s a good job I’m not Stephen then, isn’t it.’ I press my lips to her temple before leaving her alone to decide on her outfit. I can’t wait to see what she wears, whatever it is, I know she’ll look amazing.
Beth
James hasn’t dropped his hand once from the small of my back between the restaurant and the bar. For the first time ever, I feel safe, and that this is down to a man I’ve known a matter of weeks, not the man I dedicated my life to, is completely crazy.Calm down, Beth, we agreed this is nothing serious.
‘That meal was amazing,’ I gush as I glance sideways at him. As the evening traffic intensifies, he crosses me to stand closest to the road, his hand quickly resuming its previous position. My heart races.
‘The restaurant is nothing special but the food’s good. It was the company that made it,’ he says finally.
My stomach flips. Now he’s pulling out the compliments as well. Has he always been this charming and chivalrous? I never noticed because I was too busy fighting with him. His pace slows and I glance up at the windows above us, dominating the skyline over the surrounding buildings.
‘Here we go.’ He gestures towards the entrance.
The foyer is spacious and my heels click on the marble floor as we wander towards the bank of elevators.
‘I hope you’re not afraid of heights.’ He taps the call button and I laugh at his concern. Heights are the least of my worries right now.
‘No, I’m good with heights.’ His brows arch with his smile and he gently guides me in as the doors part. We stand in silence as the floors increase one after another and for a second, I allow myself to wonder whether this is his usual form.
‘What are you thinking about?’ he questions.
I bite my tongue, but I’m desperate to know. ‘Are you trying to impress me?’
Without casting a look in my direction, he buttons his jacket and straightens himself up as the elevator begins to slow. ‘If I am, is it working?’
The doors slide open and the low hum of the bar fills the limited space around us. As I take a step forward, the skyline comes into view and the million lights of the city glow in every direction.
‘Maybe.’ I giggle, glancing back at him across my shoulder.
I hurry forward and stop inches from the glass, too afraid to press myself against it at nine hundred feet in the air.
He closes in behind me. ‘On a clear day you can see for about forty miles.’
My smile reflects in the window as I slowly take everything in. This is a first. Nothing like the stuffy engagements Stephen used to take me to, where I’d be stuck making small talk with women twice my age whilst he talked politics with the men.
